Kazakhstan-EU trade reaches USD 20.2 bln in 5 months
Mutual trade between Kazakhstan and the European Union for the past five months reached 20.2 billion US dollars that is 37% of the country’s total commodity turnover, Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu said during the meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The Foreign Minister said the country’s political, trade-economic, and humanitarian integration with the EU is dynamically expanding. He said the EU is one of the largest trading and investment partners of Kazakhstan. Mutual trade reached 20.2 billion US dollars for the five months that is 37% of the country’s total commodity turnover. In 2023 trade surpassed 41 billion US dollars. Last year Kazakhstan’s economy attracted 10.4 billion US dollars of investments. Since 2005 investments hit more than 180 billion US dollars.
As stated there, over 3,000 European companies, including Eni, Total, Amazonen-Werke, Air Liquide, Alstom, and Carlsberg, work in Kazakhstan in various economic sectors.
The Minister stressed the parties traditionally prioritize cooperation in energy, transportation and logistics, agriculture, machine building and manufacturing, and information technologies.
Nurtleu said Kazakhstan and the EU focus on partnership on critical raw materials. The Kazakh Government hails arrival of the European companies and business circles to Kazakhstan. He stressed the need for the development of transcontinental railways, and air and car transport corridors. The Minister noted the EU confirms interest in joint development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The parties also debated issues concerning the facilitation of the EU visa regime for the nationals of Kazakhstan, pressing regional and international agenda, challenges in Central Asia, climate change in the region, situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
